Mayor Bob Filner giving his first State of the City address at the Balboa Theatre on Tuesday.
— Sean M. Haffey

The mayor’s office kept the dismissals secret even during a finance committee hearing attended by Filner’s city council liaison Francisco Estrada Jan. 9 — a week after the firms lost their jobs.

During the lengthy discussion of the city’s legislative priorities, Estrada said the mayor was evaluating the lobbying firms’ performance “quite carefully.”

“We’re unsure what sort of bang we get for that buck,” Estrada said.

It is unclear whether Estrada was aware of the week-old termination notices at the time. Filner’s office declined to respond to questions, requiring U-T San Diego to submit a Public Records Act request that can drag out answers for weeks or longer.

Both of the lobbying firms leaned Republican so it’s not so unusual that the new Democratic mayor would want his own team. Also, Democrats have big majorities in the Assembly and state Senate and control the U.S. Senate.

Some council members, though unaware of the firing, had been questioning whether the firms were effective.

Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders had extended the contracts for the two lobbying firms from June 2012 to June 2013.

The amount for Sacramento-based Sloat Higgins Jensen & Associates was not to exceed $168,000. The federal lobbying firm of Patton Boggs was to receive up to $180,000.

Jeff Marston, a prominent San Diego political consultant and former Republican assemblyman, also received a termination notice. He was under a subcontract with the Sloat firm.

The lobbying firms declined to comment.

Council members contacted by U-T San Diego said they were unaware of the dismissals until just recently.

“It’s clear that the notification of the council was not handled properly,” said Council President Todd Gloria, adding that the mayor’s office has extended assurances it won’t happen again. “I suspect that that’s owing to the period of adjustment that I think the mayor and his staff are currently dealing with. I certainly appreciate the acknowledgment of the error.”

Among the city’s priorities in the interim are the dissolution of redevelopment agencies and federal negotiations that involve the threat of new rounds of base closures, Gloria said.

“I am concerned about us having no one there on our behalf,” Gloria said.

Councilman Kevin Faulconer, a Republican, said the mayor should have extended the council a courtesy notice.

“We need to have accurate and timely information,” Faulconer said. “It needs to be transparent, which didn’t happen in this case.”

Faulconer said the delay in having representation could come back to haunt the city because so much of what happens in the capitals has a direct impact.

“We could have been using this time to work together on a plan. We need to get going,” he said.